San Benito County has become a boiling pot for arguments about
growth, expansion and building. But perhaps the most quirky example
is brewing in the Ridgemark area, where some residents are opposed
to the annexation of additional property where a slew of new homes
could be built.
Hollister – San Benito County has become a boiling pot for arguments about growth, expansion and building. But perhaps the most quirky example is brewing in the Ridgemark area, where some residents are opposed to the annexation of additional property where a slew of new homes could be built.
The Lompa property, which is adjacent to the Ridgemark property, is currently under contract with the DeSilva Group, a developer out of Dublin. The group is planning to build 109 new homes on the 55-acre parcel when the sewer moratorium ends, and has proposed annexing the area into the Ridgemark community. The project has not been approved by the city yet.
However, some Ridgemark residents are circulating a notice saying they aren’t happy about the proposed annexation, and may consider taking drastic measures to keep the Lompa houses out. The most dramatic move the flier proposes is the building of a ten-foot-high stucco wall along the line where Ridgemark and the Lompa property meet to keep the development out.
The proposed annexation would give the development access to Ridgemark roads, and use of its sewer system and security gate. In exchange, DeSilva would fund improvements to Ridgemark Drive, the community’s main road, including the addition of a new traffic signal, gutters and sidewalks, and would build a new centrally located park for the entire community, according to DeSilva Project Manager Jay Egy.
The 109 new homes would also comply with Ridgemark’s Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), including architectural style and lot size, Egy said.
Concerns listed on the opposed homeowners’ flier, the author of which could not be found by press time, address the possibility that the community’s sewer systems and roads wouldn’t be able to handle the increase in use if 109 homes were added.
But Egy said a traffic engineer has come to the site and conducted studies showing the annexation would not compromise the efficiency of Ridgemark’s roadways. Additionally, the Sunnyslope Water District put a well on the Lompa property several years ago, and told its owner, Roy Lompa, it would support an annexation of the land into Ridgemark in the future.
Pat Reeve, president of the Ridgemark Homeowners Association (HOA) said he doesn’t think any of these concerns figure substantially into many opposed homeowners’ worries.
“I think a lot of the objections are from people who don’t want any development. It’s a bone of contention. It’s typical of San Benito County to say ‘No development,'” said Reeve.
Until the sewer moratorium lifts in 2005, the new homes can’t be built regardless of if it’s annexed. But in the meantime, Egy and Reeve said, DeSilva will be working on a proposal to bring to the HOA board. The board will then make a recommendation to Ridgemark homeowners, of which they said there are probably about 50 or 60, on whether to reject or accept the annexation. Afterwards the homeowners will take a vote, which will determine the fate of the annexation.
“If someone comes to the board and they say they want to develop, we have to listen to them,” said Reeve. “Right now the board is trying to stay neutral. We’ll make a recommendation when the negotiations are over.”
